Governor Deal signed the bill even after being deluged by Compassion & Choices to reject the bill. Compassion & Choices, the Colorado based assisted suicide lobby group, falsely claimed that Bill HB 1114 would deny people effective choices at the end of life.

This bill will effectively protect people in Georgia from assisted suicide, was sponsored by Rep Ed Setzler in response to a decision by the Georgia Supreme Court to strike down a previous law that prevented the advertising and promotion of suicide.

Susan Celmer, the widow of John Celmer who died by assisted suicide at the urging of the Final Exit Network, testified in favour of HB 1114 during the committee hearings. She told the lawmakers that:

“her husband John could be living a productive life if it wasn’t cut short. She testified this week before the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, saying her husband was on powerful medications that prevented him from making a rational decision about ending his life.”

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is facing an assisted suicide Initiative on the November 2012 ballot.

Recently Vermont rejected a bill to legalize assisted suicide. Georgia passed this bill to protect its citizens from assisted suicide.